World Powers Want to Arm Libya’s Government. Who Gets the Guns?
- Embargo would stay but Sarraj could apply for exemptions
- Analysts see weeks before unity government could qualify
A member of the Libyan pro-government forces patrols a rural area on the outskirts of Benghazi, on April 19, 2016.
Photographer: Abdullah/AFP via Getty ImagesThis article is for subscribers only.
Top officials from 21 countries and four major international organizations want Libya’s fledgling unity government to receive weapons to fight Islamic State militants dug in along Mediterranean shores.
The U.S., Russia, European powers, as well as Libya’s neighbors, are attempting to build the first stable government since NATO countries intervened in 2011 to oust Muammar Qaddafi. Here’s a guide to how decisions made at diplomatic meetings this week in Vienna could change Libya’s direction.